We both know that consistency is important. We’ve heard it over and over since we were kids. But just how important is it?

Obviously if we take no action we go nowhere.

But what if we have a bias for action? How much do we benefit?

We benefit in two ways:

Multiplication of Effort. Can you learn a foreign language or a difficult subject in 30 minutes? You can if it’s 30 minutes per day. That’s 15 hours per month or 180 hours per year. Over the course of the year you gradually master the language or the concepts that you’re studying.

Compounding of Results. If you’re a social networker, here’s where you get a big payoff. Every person you meet knows other people. The bigger your network grows, the more people who you don’t know will reach out to you to connect. You apply the same constant effort, yet your results increase exponentially.

When I first joined the LinkedIn community, I spent time each day seeking out and adding new contacts. Today I have more than 2,000 direct contacts and a LinkedIn network of nearly eight million people. Do you think I still need to look for people to invite?

Perhaps I should, but I get a half a dozen requests per day sitting back and doing nothing. People are easily finding me through my existing contacts, because I took the time to build a large network.

No matter what you’re looking to accomplish, why not break it down into small daily actions as I suggest in Critical Success Factors?

Establish daily benchmarks for yourself. Meet one person per day. Walk a mile or two. Save a few dollars. Give something to charity. You get the idea.

Multiply your daily effort by the number of days in a month or in a year, and you’ll be astonished at your potential for achievement. Add compounding of results or compounding of interest, and your consistent effort will have a profound effect on your life, as well as the lives of the people who matter the most to you.

Consistency is one of the primary areas I have decided to direct my attention and focus on.

You are such an amazing example of that, Larry, in your relationships and in building your businesses (ie. this blog you’ve created and maintained).

I will practice directed consistency of purpose, focus and activity in my life until it becomes second nature to me. Self-discipline and consistency go hand in hand. I am building a strong foundation until it absolutely becomes me.

I have looked at many sites but have not come across one that provides so much information, useful tips and delivers great content. I have added you to my bookmarks. Can anyone else suggest other related topics I can search for to find out more information?

Great post. Very well written so easy to read. It is so simple when it is been put into words like this, isn’t it? I did know in my head it works but never actually put it in action. I love the saying,-
“You don’t have to get it right. You just have to get it going!”

Thanks again for putting the thought into words so simply, I appreciate it very much.

I think it is a true statement that you don’t need to get it right, just get it going - with learning a language this is so true. For so long I didn’t want to speak French or German until I knew what I was saying was absolutely perfect, but I soon realized that it was holding me back, and I had a massive learning curve once I just started talking.

Thank you Larry for this post. I completely agree that consistency is important! I think sometimes however we are so caught up that we forget how important it really is. The idea of breaking a large project down is such a good one. That is the one that i have to work on. I sometimes lose myself in the thought of how big a project is!